Professor Dasgupta to Chair Mathematica Symposium

By Bo Min Zhou

Professor of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Gautam Dasgupta at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), has been chosen to chair the Executive Committee for the International Mathematica Symposium, which will take place from July 16-20, 1995, in Southampton, England. Distinguished experts from around the world will present the latest developments in symbolic computation related to education, research, and industrial applications in various scientific and financial disciplines. Mathematica is widely used in cutting-edge research because of its enormous capabilities in symbolic computation and visualization, easy maneuverability, and compatibility with popular programming languages ranging from Lisp to C. Professor Dasgupta has been involved with the environment since its early days. He has extensively employed Mathematica both in his own research and teaching at Columbia and has collaborated with colleagues all over the world. Recently, he delivered a lecture on running C programs, animation routines, and technical documentation in conjunction with Mathematica to colleagues in Finland via video teleconferencing with the help of Columbia academic computing and video network. Back and forth live communication of mathematical ideas with the state-of-the- art communication tools was emphasized. The graphical capacity of Mathematica enables teachers and researchers to visualize and represent their abstract work, making it easier to comprehend and to present to colleagues and students.

Professor Dasgupta's current research interests include theoretical and stochastic computational mechanics, which extensively employ symbolic computation, a method that integrates arithmetic, algebraic, and geometric calculations. He is working on soil-interaction models that have seismic applications. For example, these models help us understand the impact of earthquakes and facilitate safer design of infrastructures. on the soil structure, facilitating the design of safer infrastructures. In the past, he has collaborated with the Columbia Medical School faculty to build models that help surgeons to anticipate the structural and aesthetic effects of their clinical work. Professor Dasgupta has also participated in the design of space shuttle main engines for NASA. While the developments in the defense and space industry have slowed down in recent years, Professor Dasgupta anticipates great opportunities in applying computational mathematics research to new fields such as medicine and liberal arts education. In medicine, engineering models built with computer-aided graphics will assist surgeons in making optimal decisions, and will make certain difficult procedures feasible. In education, visual presentation will allow students to learn materials in subjects ranging from chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering more easily. Professor Dasgupta has been collaborating with members of Columbia Music faculty in the field of digital and computer-aided music. Such an approach to education will enable students to focus the application of what they have learned in problem solving instead of trying to grasp the concepts in abstract terms, and spending time in wrestling with the syntax of procedural computer languages.


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